When Your Child Is Ill

During an illness, surgical procedure or infection the body releases more glucose into the blood stream to help fight the illness. This can lead to hyperglycaemia and may require adjustments to their rapid acting insulin or other medication.

However, if your child is vomiting and/or having diarrhoea this could lead to hypoglycaemia if their insulin doses are not adjusted. Both factors will combine to make it harder to manage your child’s glucose levels – and this will be especially difficult as they are already feeling unwell and under the weather and most likely not wanting to eat or drink.

You will have better success and less distress when trying to manage diabetes with a sick child if you are prepared before it ever happens. To help you develop a sick day plan, it is likely that your child’s healthcare team will have given you some guidance and instructions on what to do if your child is unwell – so called ‘Sick Day Rules’.

These Sick Day Rules may include:

Testing their blood glucose levels more often than usual ( maybe every 2 – 4 hours)

Testing for ketones if their blood glucose level is 13.3mmol/L or above – this is necessary to prevent the development of diabetic ketoacidosis which will require urgent medical attention

Giving them plenty to drink – ideally water or no added sugar squash

Encouraging them to keep eating – small and often may be better – if they are vomiting and/or don’t feel like solid food then milky or sugary drinks may be given

Making adjustments to their rapid acting insulin dose

And finally - most important of all – do not stop or reduce your child’s long acting insulin even when they are ill

If you are at all concerned about your child’s condition or are unable to bring down their ketone levels, or if you are unsure if you are able to manage their medication/symptoms at home – seek medical advice immediately.

FreeStyle Libre

Flash Glucose Monitoring System

Why prick when you can scan?1

*1. Scanning the sensor to obtain glucose values does not require lancets 2.
A finger prick test using a blood glucose meter is required during times of rapidly changing glucose
levels when interstitial fluid glucose levels may not accurately reflect blood glucose levels, or if
hypoglycemia or impending hypoglycemia is reported but the symptoms do not match the system readings.×

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